London 2012 Olympics: BMX cycling guide

Read Telegraph Sport's guide to the BMX cycling event at the London 2012
Olympics.

Races are held over a short, tight, twisting circuit with multiple turns
and jumps. Eight riders compete in each race.

They start from a manually operated gate and hurtle down a steep slope. First
to the finish line wins. The challenge is not to fall off as you whizz
around the challenging course.

The organisers do not want all the top riders to meet in the first rounds, so
each competitor will race over the course once to determine their seeding
and heats will be organised accordingly. The top two riders from each heat
progress to the next round.

Cyclists wear long-sleeved tops and bottoms, gloves and helmets (which have
full masks to protect their faces) when competing. They may also wear knee
and elbow pads for extra protection.

Bikes normally have 20-inch wheels and light aluminium frames, which make them
easier to handle, wide handlebars to give balance and no gears.

Events / disciplines

Men's BMX, women's BMX

Gold medals available

2

Like sprinting and Formula One a good start out of the blocks can set you
up for a successful race. A powerful push start and good line into the
opening corner are essential, but in the chaos of the start good awareness
is needed to avoid clattering into other racers.

It is not all about acceleration and speed, with braking an important factor
in deciding the outcome of a race. Good braking can give you that vital
advantage over your competitors in cornering and jumping.

Controlled aggression is generally rewarded in BMX racing with those riders
displaying bravery and intelligence when overtaking often being successful.
A Lewis Hamilton-gung-ho-all-out-attack style rarely produces anything but
accidents.

What not to say

If it were a TV programme, it would be

Explosive and thrilling, BMX was a welcome addition to the Olympic
programme when it was introduced in Beijing in 2008, and this will be its
second appearance.

The pulsating, all-or-nothing nature of the sport has its roots not just in
its format – tight turns, hazardous jumps and fierce jostling – but in its
competitors. Britain’s Shanaze Reade gambled an almost certain silver four
years ago in an attempt to sneak gold and ended up whizzing off the track,
leaving her Olympic dream in tatters.

BMX bikes have only one gear and one brake, with wheels being 20 inches in
diameter, roughly two-thirds the size of wheels used on a standard road bike

Jargon

Doubles or whoops: Especially steep jumps, set out in pairs. The
fastest riders jump both together.Holeshot: Being in the lead from the start gate because of a fast start.Manual: when you lift your front wheel off the ground and freewheelWheelie: holding your front wheel off the ground while still pedalling;
an essential skill for getting through multiple jumps.

Official sites

Green light: riders start a race at the London 2012 Test Event next to the VelodromePhoto: ACTION IMAGES

How many medals targeted by Team GB?

UK Sport have set a target range of six to 10 medals across all cycling
disciplines

Where are the chances?

In the BMX Shanaze Reade, at her best, should challenge.

Brits to watch?

Reade has been women’s world champion in three of the last four years and
remains the woman to beat. Liam Phillips is Britain’s best male rider and
won his first world championship medal this year although he is not expected
to challenge for medals.

Biggest international rivals?

The favourites in the men’s event are Australia's Sam Willoughby and Latvia's
Maris Strombergs. In the women’s event, watch out for American Alise Post
and New Zealand's Sarah Walker.

How to win

The 2012 organisers don't want all the top riders to meet in the first rounds,
so each competitor will ride the course once to determine their seeding and
heats will be organised accordingly. The women progress straight to the
semi-finals and the men’s competition continues with the quarter-finals,
which are held over five runs, with points for places on each run. After
three runs, the best two riders from each quarter-final progress to the
semi-finals. The remaining riders compete in the final two quarter-final
runs and the best two from each quarter-final also progress to the
semi-finals. From here, the semi-finals in both the men’s and women’s events
follow a three-run format. The top four riders from each semi-final advance
to the final, where the medals are decided over one run.